If All Else Perished
by vampwriterxo
Summary: This story takes place immediately after the Season 5 finale. Unable to contain her emotions, Elena becomes suicidal. Her friends will stop at nothing to protect her. Jeremy hatches a risky plan to protect Elena. But if Damon somehow returns, will he like the new Elena he finds?
1. He Burned Too Bright for this World

The aftermath of Damon and Bonnie's death was unlike any the Mystic Falls gang had ever experienced. Jeremy tore through the woods, crying out for Bonnie. Stefan wept softly by a fire, speaking in hushed tones to Caroline. He lost his brother, his best friend, and Bonnie all in one evening. Crushed by grief, he rested his head on Caroline's shoulder. She attempted to remain strong, though experiencing painful losses herself. She could hardly bare to lose Bonnie again. Hell, she would even miss Damon. She silently regretted her previous judgments of him. After all, if it weren't for Damon, Stefan, _her _Stefan, would be the one on the Other Side, lost forever in the abyss. Damon's sacrifice was one she could never repay.

Caroline started at the sound of snapping twigs, and someone rushing toward them at superhuman speed. Alaric.

Caroline and Stefan jumped to their feet. Caroline ran and threw her arms around Ric's neck. The tears welled up in her eyes. So many lost, yet so many gained. He smelled like he always had, of pencil shavings and Bourbon. History teacher by day, and bad ass by night.

It wasn't until Alaric released her from the embrace that she realized something was terribly wrong.

"Where's Elena?!" Alaric started.

"Wasn't she with you?" Stefan responded, his voice tinged with worry.

"I lost her when we ran after Jeremy," Alaric ran his fingers through his short brown hair, a move so characteristic of him, Caroline's eyes welled with tears again. He looked like a worried parent. Back from the dead, yet so worried for Elena and Jeremy.

"We need to find her. She's not in her right state of mind," Caroline stated firmly. Stefan and Alaric understood what she meant. Between losing her best friend and her boyfriend, there would be no telling what Elena might do. When she lost Jeremy, she turned off her humanity switch. No one would be surprised if she did that again, or perhaps something worse.

It was then that Tyler and Matt returned, leading a grief-stricken Jeremy. Jeremy came somewhat back to his senses when the others told him of Elena's disappearance. The immediate worry for his sister took precedence over grief.

"Well, Mystic Falls is a magic-free zone now, but just to be safe, I think Tyler and Matt should search the town. Make sure she's not on some crazy suicidal mission, or looking for Damon's body," Jeremy ordered.

"Stefan and I will cover Mystic Falls' borders ," Caroline volunteered, "while you and Alaric can search the woods." she continued. She was worried for Elena, of course, but she couldn't bear the thought of being parted from Stefan. Not right now. Not like this.

"Perfect," replied Stefan, "She can't have gone far. We'll meet back here in an hour."

The pairs split. Caroline hopped into the passenger's seat of Stefan's tiny sports car. They were silent at first, both intently scanning Mystic Falls borders, hoping to catch some glimpse of the long, dark hair, and brown doe eyes of Elena Gilbert. After a little while, Stefan spoke.

"If I were Elena Gilbert, where would I be..." he mumbled, more to himself than to Caroline.

"Normally, I'd say wherever Damon is, but..." her voice trailed off. Stefan smiled weakly. As of late, Stefan and Caroline had made jokes that if you ever needed to find one, all you had to do was locate the other. Even when Damon said he never wanted to see her again, they couldn't seem to stay away. Like magnets, they found there way back to each other.

Elena's location hit both Caroline and Stefan at the exact same moment. Their fearful, wide-eyed stares met. Stefan slammed on the gas.

Wickery Bridge lay just inside the Mystic Falls borders. Stefan knew he'd have a few minutes before the pain hit him to fetch Elena. Staying inside the borders too long meant certain death.

He slammed on the brakes as the bridge came into view. Elena has just crossed the Mystic Falls border and was walking calmly toward the edge of the bridge. Stefan and Caroline flung their doors open and ran into the cool night.

"Elena!" cried out Stefan. By now, Elena was coughing and sputtering out water, reliving her human death that led to her transition to a vampire. In a few minutes, she would be human, and then dead.

Stefan fearlessly crossed the Mystic Falls border without thinking. Caroline followed. She already lost one best friend tonight, like hell she'd lose Elena too.

Elena had toppled over, still coughing up water, succumbing the the drowning sensation. Stefan felt a piercing pain in his chest, and looked down as the blood began to stain his t-shirt. The sensation of being shot slowed him down, but didn't stop him. Caroline felt her breath become stifled. She felt as if someone was smothering her. _Oh right, _she thought bitterly, _that is technically how I died. _She powered through the suffocation, silently cursing Katherine for not killing her in a more bearable way.

They reached Elena. The drowning had become so intense she was unable to speak, only kick and resist Stefan and Caroline.

"Grab her legs!" ordered Stefan. Caroline gasped for air, but obeyed. She began to feel woozy. In a few more moments, she'd be unconscious.

"Over here! I found them!" cried the familiar voice of Matt Donovan, followed closely by Tyler. Relief coursed through Caroline's veins. Between the four of them, they easily restrained and carried Elena to safety.

Once over the border, Stefan turned to Caroline.

"You alright, Care?" Stefan asked, concern in his voice. She clutched her chest and gasped for air.

"Yeah...I'm okay. Are you?" She panted. He glanced down at his chest, his wound closed, the only evidence of his pain was the blood still on his shirt. He nodded, then turned fiercely towards Elena.

"What the hell were you doing?!" he shouted, although he already knew the answer. Elena coughed up the last bits of water from her lungs.

"Trying...to...die," She sputtered between coughs.

"Elena, why?" Caroline voice caught with tears.

"BECAUSE DAMON IS DEAD! HE'S DEAD AND IT'S MY FAULT!" Elena yelled with such ferocity that Caroline jumped backed. Elena's body convulsed with sobs. Stefan attempted to put a hand on her shoulder.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she cried, then softer, "You should have left me...you should have let me die," Overcome with emotion, Elena wrapped her arms around her knees and wept.

Caroline noticed Alaric had slipped in behind them while Elena cried. She moved her mouth to speak, when he put a finger to his lips. She stopped. Alaric crept up behind Elena before swiftly puncturing her neck with a syringe. She cried out before her head drooped.

"What did you just do?" cried Caroline.

"Vervain," Alaric stated shortly, "She's volatile right now, Caroline."

"She couldn't hurt us, we're all strong!" Caroline shouted.

"It's not us I'm worried about. Clearly, she's ready to hurt herself," Alaric replied calmly. This silenced Caroline. As much as she didn't like it, Caroline couldn't deny that Elena was suicidal and needed to be protected from herself.

"But, what do we do when it wears off?" Stefan asked softly.

"Maybe we could reason with her, maybe..." Caroline began but she knew it was hopeless. Elena was stubborn. The only person who'd ever changed the mind of Elena Gilbert was gone. If she'd resolved to die and be with him, she'd find a way. They all knew it, but no one spoke.

"I have an idea," Jeremy cut in. All eyes lifted towards him. "I have an idea, but you guys probably won't like it..." he hesitated.

"We're pretty desperate for ideas right about now," Alaric prompted.

"When I lost Vicki a few years back, I was in a really rough place, but I came out of it. Damon did something kinda shady and took away my memories of her. I found out and was pissed, naturally, but that's because I was strong enough to handle it. I don't know if Elena is strong enough to handle losing Damon, and with the Other Side shattered, it's pretty clear we've lost Damon and Bonnie forever," his voice caught when he said her name, "So I propose we compel Elena to forget Damon ever existed."

Stunned silence, followed by loud protests ensued.

"You can't compel her to forget my brother, I know that isn't what she wants!" Stefan protested loudly. "Besides, Damon would be furious. It's an insult to his memory." Stefan huffed.

"Besides, would you want to forget Bonnie?" Caroline asked softly.

"Of course not," Jeremy's eyes brimmed with tears, "But I'm not the one threatening suicide. And I can't bear to lose Elena, not after all this," the tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Well, there's one problem here," Matt began, "Vampires can't be compelled."

"Not by average vampires, no. But they can be compelled by Originals," Jeremy's eyes fell on Caroline.

"Nuh uh, no way, I am _not_ calling Klaus. No." Caroline stammered angrily. Awkward silence engulfed the group as Jeremy stared pleadingly at Caroline, and Stefan angrily stared into the distance.

"Would you all rather see her dead then?" Jeremy questioned. Caroline wiped angry tears from her cheeks. Without making eye contact with Jeremy, Stefan spoke.

"I think this is 100% wrong. But since her life is in danger, and you're her brother, I'll leave this decision up to you," Stefan said stiffly.

Without speaking, Caroline sniffled and lifted her phone to her ear.

"Hi, Klaus? Look, I need to ask a favor of you..."


	2. Faded into Black

Matt and Tyler were the only ones able to return to Mystic Falls. The rest of the gang had to find another place to crash while they awaited the arrival of Klaus. Naturally, because Caroline called, Klaus had agreed to come.

They compelled the workers at a nearby sleazy motel to provide them with rooms for the time being. Jeremy bunked with Alaric. Stefan and Caroline stayed together, but also kept Elena in their room. They had acquired a third room for her, but didn't feel comfortable allowing her to stay there alone just yet.

Elena stirred.

"Where am I?" Her speech was slow and slurred; the vervain hadn't completely worn off yet.

"A motel, a town over from Mystic Falls," Stefan replied softly. Stefan reached down and gently stroked Elena's hair out of her eyes. Caroline's muscles tensed, but she recovered quickly.

"Get some sleep, Elena," Caroline ordered. The drowsiness induced by the vervain was causing her to barely keep her eyes open. She nodded weakly, and fell asleep without any protest.

"When the vervain wears off, she's going to kill us," Stefan stated matter-of-factly. Caroline didn't respond, but knew he was right. Her thoughts were cloudy right now, but it was only a matter of time until she remembered: Damon, Bonnie, her rescue, the vervain.

"Well, we better hope when the vervain wears off that Klaus gets here quickly," Caroline responded. Stefan paused thoughtfully.

"Is that going to be awkward for you?" He asked after a beat.

"Seeing Klaus?" She asked.

"Well, yeah, considering the last time you saw him, the two of you..." Stefan started, but Caroline, with scarlet cheeks, cut him off.

"_Of course _it's going to be awkward. Especially because everybody knows. Everyone's going to scrutinize our every move. Except for maybe Alaric, I don't know how much gossip he kept up with on the Other Side," The words flooded out. It was easy to open up to Stefan because he listened and withheld judgments. She could not, however, open up about what was really eating at her. She was attracted to Klaus even still, but she was also attracted to Stefan. She finally understood how Elena got mixed up in a love triangle. It wasn't as hard as people might think to love two people at once.

"Do you think we're doing the right thing? With Elena, I mean," Stefan asked abruptly.

"No," Caroline said after a short pause, "No, I don't think she'd want to forget Damon. But what other choice do we have? When Jeremy died, she burned down their house and flipped off her humanity switch. After losing Damon and Bonnie, there's no telling what she'd do," Caroline decided.

Stefan didn't agree, but he understood.

"What time will Klaus be here?" Stefan inquired.

"His flight gets in tomorrow morning," Caroline replied with a yawn. The vervain should be out of Elena's system by then. Until tomorrow, all they could do was wait. It was then Caroline realized how tired she was. It was late. She glanced over at her bed. Elena was sprawled out across the queen-size bed. Caroline normally would've crawled into bed with her, but feared waking her. For the first time in weeks, Elena looked peaceful. As if reading her mind, Stefan spoke.

"We can share this one," he said softly. Caroline tried to ignore the color flaring up in her cheeks.

"Okay," was all she could manage.

They slipped under the covers. Caroline was oddly aware of how close they were. She could feel Stefan's body heat, hear his undead heart beat. With a click, he shut off the lamp.

That night, Elena dreamed of Damon.

_"How could you_ _leave me?" she sobbed, "You promised!" She was in an open field. Around her, there was nothing, nobody, only tall grass and darkness. A light flickered in the corner of her vision. She spun around wildly, searching for the source. A man a approached her, but she didn't cower in fear. He was tall, lean, and wearing a leather jacket. She knew him well, from the messy black hair right down to the boots. _

_ "Damon," she breathed, barely able to utter a word._

_ "Elena," he replied, his voice clear as day inside her head. He looked almost exactly as she remembered. His blue eyes still fiery and alive. But, he didn't look real. His skin appeared to emit light. _

_ "Damon, are you...?" she wasn't able to finish her thought. _

_ "Dead?" he grinned at her, "I promised you I'd come back, didn't I?"_

_ "But you're, you..." she stammered. He placed a large, warm, hand on her cheek, tracing his fingers along her jawline. His fingertips left a trail of sparks wherever they touched. She shuddered involuntarily. _

_ "Am I dead?" she asked weakly._

_ "No, sweetie. You're dreaming," he smiled, not in his usual devilish way, but in a soft, tender way, a look saved only for Elena. _

_ "C-can I stay?" she stammered, afraid of the answer._

_ "I promised you I'd come back, didn't I?" he repeated. He pressed his lips to hers before she could reply. He kissed her softly at first, as she clutched the back of his shirt tightly, afraid that if she let go, he'd disappear. The kiss grew in intensity, as he slid his hands down her lower back. She wound her fingers through his messy black hair..._

She woke up screaming. It was light outside; Stefan and Caroline were already up and dressed. They were at her side immediately.

"It felt _so real,_" was all she kept repeating. Caroline and Stefan exchanged worried glances. They didn't need to ask to know she'd dreamed of Damon. The tears, and the look on her face as if she'd been torn from her other half said it all.

There was a knock on the door. It was Alaric and Jeremy.

"He's here," Alaric spoke stiffly. Caroline could tell he wasn't on board with this plan. After all, Ric's last experience with Klaus was when Klaus possessed his body. She was sure he wasn't thrilled at the prospect of Klaus helping them with anything.

"Who's here?" Elena demanded. Jeremy and Alaric stepped aside to reveal none other than Klaus. His eyes danced when they met Caroline's.

"Hello, sweetheart," he teased.

"What's he doing here?" she asked, worry filling her doe-brown eyes. He turned towards Elena.

"So I take it you were in love with the recently dead Salvatore brother this week?" he asked coolly. Elena swiped at his face, but he effortlessly dodged the blow.

"Now, now, love, let's not be rash. I'm here to make it better," he soothed. Elena tilted her head curiously.

"Can you bring him back?" she asked cautiously.

"I can do you one better," he replied, a wicked grin stretching across his face. Caroline tensed, dreading what would happen next. Elena look confused as Klaus strode across the room and sat down on the bed beside her.

"Are you sure this is what you all want?" Klaus asked no one in particular.

"It's for the best," Jeremy spoke firmly. No one else said a word.

"Very well, then," Klaus sighed, "But don't come crying to me if you face any..._unanticipated consequences,_" he drawled. He took Elena's hand. His pupils dilated as his eyes met Elena's and he spoke.

"Forget Damon Salvatore," he ordered, "Remember the events of the last five years, but do not remember any person by the name of Damon Salvatore. Forget that you met him, forget that you loved him. Do you understand?" Klaus commanded. She nodded weakly.

"Never again think of anyone by the name of Damon Salvatore," he concluded.

"Who?" she blinked confused.

"Exactly. You're welcome," Klaus addressed them smugly.

No one spoke. Elena looked confused, like she was wracking her brains and unable to remember what she sought. Her face screwed up in frustration.

"Now, then," Klaus turned to Caroline, "About our deal..." he offered her his arm, and she took it hesitantly.

"What deal?" Stefan's eyes met Caroline's. She looked away, awkwardly.

"Well, in order to get him to help Elena, I promised to let him take me on a date," she shuffled her feet awkwardly, looking at no one.

"Come, love, we haven't got forever, you know," Klaus quipped. Arm in arm, they exited the room.

Alaric, Stefan, and Jeremy all turned their eyes towards Elena.

"What just happened?" she asked, and got no reply. Stefan decided it was time to test her memory.

"Do you remember me?" he asked cautiously.

"You're Stefan Salvatore. Why the hell wouldn't I remember you?" she stated irritatedly. She thought harder for a few moments.

"Do I have amnesia?" she asked.

"What makes you say that?" Alaric asked softly.

"I don't know...my memory seems to be full of gaps or something. Like, I remember dating Stefan, and I also remember breaking up, but I can't seem to remember why..." her voice trailed off. Alaric and Stefan exchanged weary glances. With Damon erased from her memories, there was going to be a lot of gaps, a lot of things she couldn't explain. There would be a lot of choppy memories that she would struggle to string together. This was going to be more difficult than Jeremy anticipated, that was certain.


	3. Hello, Brother

During Caroline's absence, Stefan and Alaric decided to attempt poking through Elena's memories. It was in their best interest, they figured, to discover what she remembered and what she had forgotten. If they weren't careful, she could figure out she had been compelled. She was already suspicious. She knew she was missing pieces of her memory, though she could not piece together exactly what or why.

Elena remembered a great deal, but seemed to have no trace of memory of Damon. Stefan attempted to figure out what she knew. He spoke to Elena for a while. As casually as he could, he began to speak.

"Well, I should probably give my brother a call one of these days," Stefan mused, "just to see how he's been." He watched Elena's reaction carefully.

"You have a brother?!" she practically shouted, "Stefan, I've known you for years, we've dated, and you never thought to mention you have a _brother_?" she was incredulous.

Stefan shrugged his shoulders and attempted to remain neutral.

"You've never heard me mention him?" he inquired.

Elena scrunched up her face, searching desperately through her memory.

"Am I supposed to remember him?" she asked suspiciously.

"I suppose not," he answered. Elena remained quiet for a few moments.

"I don't know, Stefan. Everything seems so foggy. I think about the past and so much of it doesn't seem to make sense. Like I'm missing memories, or something," she tilted her head to the side. He felt a pang in his chest. Guilt, bearing heavily upon his already burdened and weary soul. She sighed.

"Anyway, I'd love to meet him. I'm sure he's as good, charming, and kind as you," she smiled.

"Something like that," he smirked. At this, Alaric, who had remained silent through the conversation, stifled a laugh. He attempted to play it off as a coughing fit. Elena didn't buy it.

"Do you know his brother?" her eyes turned to him.

"We've met once or twice," he responded, feigning disinterest.

"Really, Stefan? Alaric _met_ your brother and I didn't even know you _had_ one?" she appeared almost hurt that Stefan withheld information from her. Stefan and Alaric exchanged glances without responding to her inquiry. She spoke again.

"Well, I'd love to meet him sometime. Whoever he is," she grumbled.

"Damon," Stefan said.

"What?" she replied.

"His name," he repeated, "It's Damon."

"Damon," she stated softly. For a moment, she appeared very far away. The guilt in his heart heightened when she said his name. It sounded foreign and unfamiliar in her mouth, as if she was talking about a stranger. It sounded nothing like how she usually said his name, sometimes full of anger, sometimes frustration, but usually full of admiration and love.

Stefan glanced at the clock on the wall. Caroline had been gone for quite some time now, and his stomach twisted with worry and perhaps even a twinge of jealousy. He contemplated leaving to search for her.

Meanwhile, Caroline was sitting on a wall, facing the ocean, with Klaus beside her. They had gone to a restaurant, taken a stroll along the boardwalk, and now sat side-by-side in silence. Caroline sighed. She liked Klaus, but something was missing.

"You're thinking about him again," Klaus broke her reverie.

"Who?" Caroline asked innocently.

"Stefan," Klaus replied. He didn't sound hurt or angry, merely like he was stating a fact. Caroline bit her lower lip but said nothing.

"The last time we met, I made you a promise," Klaus continued, "I vowed never to return."

"I asked you to come," she replied softly. The wind blew a wisp of hair in her eyes. He gently tucked it behind her ear.

"Out of desperation," he grinned. She couldn't help but smile back.

"But I want you to know, our bargain still stands," he continued. Her blue eyes flashed up at him. She thought their bargain was permanently broken the minute she chose to reach out to him for help. Her heart pounded, tearing in two. With him gone, she might have a chance at happiness. Her heart could finally become whole again. Maybe. With Stefan.

The sun had begun to set, tinging the ocean waves with hues of pink and purple.

"But, I..." she couldn't complete her thought.

"Of course you'll miss me, love," he supplied, "but I have a life of my own in New Orleans. Just like you have a life of your own, here," he spoke uncharacteristically gently.

In a flash, his lips pressed against hers. She kissed him back, willingly. His hands traced circles on her shoulders, causing her skin to develop goose bumps anywhere he touched. She was kissing him recklessly, the way she had that day in the forest. There was something freeing about being with him. Knowing she could kiss him like this with no strings attached, that he would leave and she could return to life as she knew it, as if this had never happened. He broke away from her embrace and grinned.

"Besides, I have an eternity to win your heart forever. I'm a patient man. I can wait." She blinked and he vanished.

Back at the motel, Alaric volunteered to go on a walk with Elena. He and Stefan agreed it was in her best interest to get some fresh air. Alaric, however, had motives of his own.

Made by the Original Witch, Alaric was aware his powers extended beyond that of the average vampire. He didn't know, however, just how much power he had. He had intentionally not volunteered to compel Elena's memories away because he didn't know if he had that kind of power, but also because he didn't agree with the whole idea. Damon had been one of his best friends. He wouldn't have wanted this, which is why Alaric needed to do what he was about to do. As they walked, he made eye contact with Elena.

"Elena," he said firmly, "pick up that rock." He gestured toward a stone on the sidewalk. She tilted her head at time.

"Why?" she asked, clearly confused by his tone. Realization dawned in her eyes, "Alaric, are you trying to _compel me?" _she sounded infuriated.

"I was just trying to see if I could," he shuffled awkwardly.

"Well, you could've asked!" she cried, "I'm not just something you can whisk away and conduct experiments on!" her voice raised with anger.

He attempted fruitlessly to calm her down, but to no avail. She spun on her heel, and stomped back towards the motel room. Alaric sighed. He was upset that he had pissed off Elena, but even more upset that it hadn't worked. He couldn't compel her. He would not be able to compel her memories of Damon back into her head.

Elena returned to the motel to find that her stuff had been moved into her own room. She was relieved. Her friends had been acting strange and her head pounded from trying so hard to remember. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Her memory was littered with gaps and blank spaces, as if something, something very important, had been torn from her memories. Like she had been compelled to forget...

_Compelled. _

The word bounced around her head like the beams of a flashing red light. Had someone compelled her to forget something? Had Alaric tried to compel her to see if he could compel her memories back? But, if someone compelled her to forget something, why hadn't her friends simply told her? At least then she wouldn't feel so lost and confused.

An idea struck her like a bolt of lightning.

"My journal!" she practically shouted out loud. She began to dig through her belongings, strewing clothes across the floor. They could compel her memories from her mind, but not from her journal. She wrote down _everything. _If a memory was powerful enough that someone went through the trouble to make her forget it, she certainly would have recorded it in her journal...

Stefan sat in the lobby of the motel on an old couch sipping a glass of red wine. A fire burned in the fireplace. The lobby was less like a lobby, and more like a shabby living room. No employees manned the front desk, no bellhop waited at the door to greet vacationers. As a matter of fact, Stefan had compelled the employees to go home. It was best that nobody, guests or employees, stayed at the hotel besides them. The sun had long since set, and he was worried about Caroline. He considered going out there and looking for her, but he knew she wouldn't appreciate that. She was strong, and perfectly capable of caring for herself.

The old wooden door to the lobby creaked open. A dainty silhouette filled the door frame before entering the dimly lit room. Caroline.

Stefan breathed a sigh of relief, as she gracefully strode across the room in his direction. She plopped down on the couch beside him. After a few moments, he broke the silence.

"How was your date?"

"Well, he's gone," she sighed, hardly a response to his question, but he let it slide. He poured her a glass of the red wine he'd been sipping, and offered it to her. She took it gratefully. She drained it with a speed only a vampire could muster, and poured herself another. They were sitting close enough that he could feel the heat radiating off of her. It dizzied him, or perhaps that was the wine. He remembered what Lexi said to him on the Other Side.

"Caroline, I have something to tell you," he breathed. Their faces were close, only inches apart. Her blue eyes met his amber ones. She drew a finger up to his lips.

"Shh...don't speak," she whispered. He leaned in, and felt the pressure of her soft lips against his. She let herself totally unravel in his arms. He tasted bitter and sweet, like red wine, with a coppery hint, like he'd fed recently.

Cautiously, she moved her hands under his shirt, allowing herself to explore a little. She was in a blue sun dress, so he moved his hands more modestly, sliding them down her sides to rest on her hips. She felt dizzy and giggly, the wine had definitely kicked in.

He drew back and so did she.

"Caroline, we can't do this right now," he slurred with a grin. _I guess I drank more than I thought_, he thought.

"Why?" she giggled.

"Because we're tipsy," he found himself laughing, too. She brushed her lips up against his cheek, and with vampire speed, skipped out of the lobby and up the stairs. He smiled to himself. Lexi was definitely right. But then again, wasn't she always? His heart ached. He missed her. And Bonnie. And of course, Damon.

Suddenly, the door of the lobby flung open. The dark silhouette of a broad man filled the frame, alongside the silhouette of a petite young woman.

"_Hello, _brother_,"_ grinned the man, as he stepped into the light.


End file.
